Ornamental building block construction with attached decorative plates



3,251,16'6 TION S 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1966 L. ALLARD ORNAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK CONSTRUC WITH ATTACHED DECORATIVE PLATE Filed April 30, 1963 L linq May 17, 1966 L. ALLARD 3,251,166

- ORNAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK CONSTRUCTION WITH ATTACHED DECORATIVE PLATES Filed April 50, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 17, 1966 ALLARD ORNAM AL BUILDING GK CONSTRUCTION WI ATTACHED DEC ATIVE PLATES Filed April 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent Ofi ice.

3,251,166 Patented ii /lay I7, 1966 3,251,166 URNAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCK CONSTRUC- TION WITH ATTACHED DECORATIVE PLATES Leonard Allard, 124 Blackburn Ave., Gttawa, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 276,735 2 Claims. (Cl. 52-3l6) The present invention relates to a building block and more specifically to improved longitudinally interlocking building block having a generally diamond shaped configuration, that is, a building block having at least one portion in the form of a parallelepiped having frontand rear faces which form oblique angle parallelograms and four rectangular side faces.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide diamond shaped building blocks for wall construction which are erected in an interlocking relationship.

It is a further object of this invention to provide means whereby uniform mortar joints are assured throughout a wall constructed of the novel building blocks, which means at the same time facilitate erection of a wall by assisting the mason to maintain a level course.

A further object of the invention is to provide reinforcement means for the diamond building blocks according to the invention.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a diamond shaped building block having recessed central faces on both sides thereof to reduce the weight thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide building blocks designed to be longitudinally interlocked.

A still further object of the invention is to provide diamond shaped decorative plates which may be of a colour different than the block itself, and novel means for attaching such decorative plates to the building block.

A further object of the invention is to provide a building block unit in the form of a parallelepiped having front and rear faces in the form of oblique angled parallelograms and four rectangular side faces, reinforcing means embodied therein, a recess in the front and rear faces thereof in the form of an oblique angled parallelogram, a ridge at the top and bottom thereof, running between said front and rear faces thereof, centrally and laterally extending necks projecting from said blocks and having a ridge on the top and bottom thereof running in the same direction as said first named ridges.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description, and

with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a wall constructed of the building blocks according to the invention, with reinforcing rods being shown in broken lines;

FIGURE 2 is a partial front plan view taken at the corner of the wall of FIGURE 1, in an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2; 7

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a single diamond component of a building block according to the invention having a decorative plate affixed thereto;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevation of a decorative diamond plate according to the invention, imbedded attachment means being shown partially in broken lines;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view along lines 7-7 of FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of a corner section of a wall constructed of diamond building blocks according to the invention.

In the following detailed description like reference numerals will be used to identify like parts.

In FIGURE 1 a section of wall is constructed of diamond building blocks according to the invention is indicated generally at 2. Base blocks are indicated generally at 4 and cap blocks are indicated generally at 6.

As is more clearly seen in FIGURES 2 and'3, building blocks including sections of generally diamond shaped or oblique angle parallelogram configuration in the front face thereof such as block unit 8, are arranged in interlocking relationship in horizontally disposed superimposed courses. As seen in FIGURE 2, a ridge is provided centrally at the top of diamond block unit 8, and a corresponding ridge 12 is provided centrally at the bottom of diamond section 8, ridges such as 10 and 12 being adapted to meet corresponding ridges provided on adjacent interlocked building blocks, resulting in the creation of a uniform mortar joint such as mortar joint 14. Diamond shaped recess 16 is provided in the front face of block unit 8 and a corresponding recess 18 is provided on the rear face of block unit 8. Centrally spaced holes 26 and 22 extend through block 8 and communicate at each end thereof with recesses 16 and 18. Block 8 is reinforced by reinforcing rod 24 (see FIGURE 2) and reinforcing rod 26 (see FIGURE 3). It will be appreciated that reinforcing rods 24 and 26 are embedded in block 3 in horizontally spaced apart relationship at the vertical centre of block 8. In the case of a base block such as block 28 the reinforcing rods are embedded within the block in horizontally spaced apart relationship near the base thereof, by reinforcing rods 30 and 32. Base block 28 is also provided with recessed portions, centrally located triangular recessed portions 34 and 36 on the front and rear faces thereof, respectively, and a hole extending through block 28 communicates with recesses 34 and 38.

It will be appreciated that the cap blocks illustrated generally at 6 in FIGURE 1 are identical to the base blocks, such as base block 28.

Because the section of wall illustrated in FIGURE 2 is a corner, block unit 8 and base block 28 are illustrated as having corner recesses 40 and 42 respectively, as will be more clearly understood when reference is made hereinafter to the perspective view of FIGURE 8.

Referring now to FIGURE 4 which illustrates diamond building block unit 8, ridges 10 and 12 as discussed with reference to FIGURE 2 are more clearly defined. Reinforcing rod 24, shown partially in broken lines is also more clearly illustrated. Ridges 44 and 46 are shown on connecting neck 48 of block unit 8, and serve the same function as ridges l0 and 12, that is to insure an even joint between adjacent blocks. Connecting necks such as neck 48 project centrally and laterally from block unit 8.

In FIGURES 4, 5, and 6 decorative concrete plate 50 is illustrated. In FIGURE 4 plate 50 "is shown in position on block unit 8. In the sectional view of FIGURE 5, plate 50 is shown held against but not in recess 16, plate 50 being slightly larger than recess 16, but of the same general configuration. Embedded in plate 50 is metal hanger 52 adapted to receive the heads of and be held by screws 54 and 56. Screws 54 and 56 are threadably engaged in holes 20 and 22 in which are provided suitable wooden or metal plugs 58 and 60 respectively. Hanger 52, embedded in plate 50 is provided with slots 62 and 64 adapted to receive the heads of screws 54 and 56 respectively, so that plate 50 may he firmly yet removably mounted on block 8.

Turning now to FIGURE 8, a base block 4 and interlocking corner block 8 are illustrated in partly exploded perspective view. Corner block 8a is also illustrated, and is of a two diamond section size while corner block 8 is of a four diamond section size, two of each diamond units forming a part of each wall of the corner plus a corner diamond which acts to interlock with base block 4 and corner block 8a. It will be appreciated that blocks 3 having one, two and three or more individual diamond sections united by connecting necks such as neck 48 will be necessary in order to avoid adjacent vertical joints in a wall. Similarly, base blocks, corner blocks, and cap blocks of one, two or three segments in each direction will be required.

With continued reference to FIGURE 8, ridges such as ridges 10, 12, 44 and 46 will meet cooperating ridges on adjacent blocks. If for example the ridges provided on the diamond building blocks according to the invention are each of W inch thickness, the resulting mortar joint will be of inch thickness and will be uniform throughout.

The decorative plates 50 may be of a color different than the building blocks themselves, or plates 50 may be of a variety of colors so that pleasing decorative effects may be obtained by arranging plates 50 to create a pat tern effect. H

Building blocks and decorative plates according to the foregoing description may conveniently be manufactured of concrete or other related materials by standard manufacturing techniques. It will be understood that the decorative plates, which may or may not differ in color from the diamond building blocks themselves, may be added to a wall constructed of diamond blocks as described, at the builders option.

The invention described herein may be modified without departing from the building blocks as described, and the scope of protection which is sought should be limited only by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A building structure comprising a plurality of building block units arranged in a plurality of superimposed horizontally extending courses, each of said building block units in a course being in the form of a parallelpiped and having front and rear faces in the form of obliqueangle parallelograms and four rectangular side faces, reenforcing means embodied therein, a recess in the front and rear faces thereof in the form of an oblique-angle parallelogram, a ridge at the top and bottom running between the front and rear faces thereof, centrally and laterally extending legs projecting from said block and having a ridge at the top and bottom thereof running in the same direction as said first-named ridges, two holes extending through said block and communicating with said recesses, a plate in the form of an oblique-angle parallelogram having a metal hanger embedded therein, attachment means on said hanger engaging one end of a screw means, said holes in said blocks receiving the other end of said screw means and mounting said plate on said block, the necks of adjacent blocks in each course being in abutting relationship and ridges of each block in adjacent superimposed courses being in contact.

2. A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reenforcing means comprises at least one metal rod disposed through said block in coincidence with said necks.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,189,388 7/1916 Rogers 52-590 1,404,473 1/1922 Olafson 52-279 1,604,968 11/1926 Burris 52510 1,723,930 8/1929 Giesler 52286 2,151,468 3/ 1939 Henderson 52-204 2,163,454 6/1939 Slick 52308 2,183,450 12/1939 Filangeri 52-286 2,863,314 12/1958 Van Voorden 52378 FOREIGN PATENTS 343,922 1915 Germany. 700,067 11/1953 Great Britain.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. A BUILDING STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BUILDING BLOCK UNITS ARRANGED IN A PLURALITY OF SUPERIMPOSED HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING COURSES, EACH OF SAID BUILDING BLOCK UNITS IN A COURSE BEING IN THE FORM OF A PARALLELPIPED AND HAVING FRONT AND REAR FACES IN THE FORM OF OBLIQUEANGLE PARALLELOGRAMS AND FOUR RECTANGULAR SIDE FACES, REENFORCING MEANS EMBODIED THEREIN, A RECESS IN THE FRONT AND REAR FACES THEREOF IN THE FORM OF AN OBLIQUE-ANGLE PARALLELOGRAM, A RIDGE AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM RUNNING BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR FACES THEREOF, CENTRALLY AND LATERALLY EXTENDING LEGS PROJECTING FROM SAID BLOCK AND HAVING A RIDGE AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF RUNNING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS SAID FIRST-NAMED RIDGES, TWO HOLES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID BLOCK AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID RECESSES, A PLATE IN THE FORM OF AN OBLIQUE-ANGLE PARALLELOGRAM HAVING A METAL HANGER EMBEDDED THEREIN, ATTACHMENT MEANS ON SAID HANGER ENGAGING ONE END OF A SCREW MEANS, SAID HOLES IN SAID BLOCKS RECEIVING THE OTHER END OF SAID SCREW MEANS AND MOUNTING SAID PLATE ON SAID BLOCK, THE NECKS OF ADJACENT BLOCKS IN EACH COURSE BEING IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP AND RIDGES OF EACH BLOCK IN ADJACENT SUPERIMPOSED COURSES BEING IN CONTACT. 